LOCAL LAB
Dr Mioara Cristea is exploring imposter phenomenon. As someone who feels like an imposter herself, she was initially inspired to examine the impact of the phenomenon on academics’ wellbeing as well as the strategies used by senior executives to deal with imposterism. Mioara is beginning to look at how the phenomenon affects young people and their ability to thrive in school, college and University. What is imposter phenomenon?: Imposter phenomenon is “a subjective and unfounded perception of one’s own intellectual inadequacy”. In other words, feeling like you don’t belong, don’t deserve your accomplishments or job and thinking that people will discover you are a fraud. The most common characteristics of the imposter are self-doubt, fear of failure, need for social approval, and inability to internalise success. Who does it affect?: It affects different groups of people: medical students, academics, software developers, marketing managers, executives; though it seems to be more widespread among women as well as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME), groups. In a recent study looking at around 300 senior executives in the UK, we discovered imposter phenomenon was more common among female and younger participants. Interestingly, it is also more common for those leading small teams than large ones. How does it affect people’s lives?: Individuals experience burnout, emotional exhaustion, depression and poor wellbeing. They will exhibit behaviours like over preparation or procrastination; they are more likely to set lower professional expectations, accept jobs below their skill set and keep a low profile in their workplace. This can lead to loss of motivation, less likelihood of going for promotions and less job satisfaction. Finding it difficult to be themselves in the workplace impacts on their relationships with colleagues, leading in some cases to a strong feeling of loneliness and isolation. @KonectMagazines
What are your future research plans?: I have a particular interest in young people coming from poor socio-economic backgrounds, who may feel like they do not belong in school. These youngsters are more likely to drop out of high school or dismiss the idea of going into further or higher education. I’m also interested in looking at the experience of imposterism among people getting back into work after being made redundant, such as having to learning new sets of skills in a highly digitalised world. Why do you consider yourself an imposter?: I was the first in my family to go to university and do a PhD. Coming from a modest background, my parents had very high expectations in regard to my academic results. I always felt that my grades were never good enough for them and that left a lasting impact on my perception of my own abilities. I internalised the idea that in order to be “lovable” I need to achieve. It soon became a self-perpetuating cycle which was reinforced by societal stereotypes about what it meant being a woman in a rather traditional Romanian society. If you’d like to know more about Mioara’s research, and chat to her in person, you can see her take part in this year’s FameLab competition at the Three Sisters’ pub in Edinburgh on Wednesday 11th March. Email hwengage@hw.ac.uk for further information. The Local Lab column is contributed by Heriot-Watt University to engage the public in a range of their research projects. CALDERS | 27
